These are for honest C&C please. I am posting the whole story (5 pics), but I would like to know if any of these would stand on its own. What do you like, don't like, anything. If 5 is too much to review, then pick one and hammer the heck out of it. Beware: I intend to bump the crap out of this until I get a good cross section of reviews, so please, tell me what you think. TIA.

I admit right up front that I can't do these pictures any better - or even as well.

But here's the deal as I see it.
Photographers go through pretty much the same evolutionary process.

1) Getting the ideas of taking pictures -> 2) learning exposure->3) learning control of DOF and shutter speed-> learning composition-> 4) getting the technology down->5) seeing pictures and reproducing what they see -> 6) creating pictures that move the viewer, that make them feel what the photographer feels, that elicit emotions that reach outside of the frame.

IMO, these pictures are in stage 5. They are pretty good reproductions of the birds doing what birds do but there is not much poetry in the images and I don't think that tinkering with technical issues will do it.
(for examples look at http://www.bored-todeath.com/?p=1400 )

This comment may seem harsh but it is clear that the OP is mastering the technical skills and can do better than just reproduce what he/she sees - the OP now has to use these considerable skills to create memorable images.

This comment may seem harsh but it is clear that the OP is mastering the technical skills and can do better than just reproduce what he/she sees - the OP now has to use these considerable skills to create memorable images.

Click to expand...

Actually, I expected waaay harsher, really. Your critique: right on pecan, as they say around here. I understand. You're right that I am attempting to master the skills. I knew none of them had that jaw dropping feel, you know, when you open an image that actually takes a little breath away. That's what I'm shooting for. I'm trying to get to step 6, definitely not there yet. Sometimes, when I look at literally hundreds or even thousands of images in a day/week/month I lose my bearings and almost can't critique my own any more. Thank you for spelling it out. It's much appreciated.

Lovely series - I am a sucker for recording the day to life of the birds - and these do the trick. If one wants an exhibition entry (stage 5 to stage 6 above) one can set out to pick the surroundings, contrasting background and groom the bird! These give a much better view of the bird to me than a straight mugshot - despite it's artistic and technical merit. I know I will never match some of those who keep posting - but i can try! Keep them coming!

#1, 2 & 5 offer excellent character references to the Cardinal, very sharp and show great detail.

#3, sorry to say, looks like a dead bird in the stream.

You were able to capture the stop action with the water flailing about in #4, but again, I feel you were split seconds off having a good shot.

I couldn't have said any better critique than The_Traveler and Fangman. Although you captured the bird beautifully, the background is letting you down on having spectacular shots. You are closer on #5 to isolate the background from the subject with a shallower DoF, but I think more separation would enhance the image, particularly since the color tones are so similar.

You are definitely on the right track. Often it is a matter of shifting yourself a few steps, stopping down your lens, bumping the EV or a combination of all, slight adjustments, who knows...everythings depends on so many varibles. Frustration will sneek in, you have to turn that into motivation.

I feel honored to have been critiqued so well by The_Traveler, Fangman & kundalini. I hope you will continue to critique my work as I grow.

As I post more I may become confused as I hit the technical (I would hope) but will miss the artistry in more of my images. The Nikkor 80-400mm 4.5-5.6 seemed almost unusable to me at first (it's a new lens) and I'm just beginning to work out the kinks. When I began to figure out how to shoot in the plus 400 ISO range sharp without noise I gave artistry and emotion a back seat. I'm ready to move on and will take your critiques to heart...all of them. Thank you.